25 biggest villains in college football history

1

Brian Bosworth

Linebacker, Oklahoma

Brian Bosworth was a dominating presence during his time with the Oklahoma Sooners, leading the team on the defensive side of the ball. One of the more brash athletes to every play in any sport, Bosworth was quick to let you know just how good he is, and how bad you are going to be beaten. His college career ended in controversy, but there is no doubt that no list of villains would be complete without him at the top of it.

The big linebacker had it all, the power, the speed, and the looks. The Boz donned a rock-and-roll haircut, cutoff shirts, and he did not care who he pissed off. He flipped off the Colorado student section on one occasion, and he made no bigger statement than during the 1987 Orange Bowl. That game would be his defining moment in the game of college football, as he would leave school after to enter the NFL Draft.

Prior to the 1987 Orange Bowl, Bosworth failed a drug test, making him ineligible for the game. Instead of just standing on the sidelines with his teammates, Bosworth decided to make a statement. He wore a shirt that said “National Communists Against Athletes,” an obvious play on the term N.C.A.A. An autobiography he wrote with Sports Illustrated’s Rick Reilly spoke of drugs, guns, and wild times at Oklahoma, which played a role in head coach Barry Switzer resigning from the school.

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Bosworth would end up flaming out in the NFL, with his defining moment being Bo Jackson running over him for a touchdown in a game against the Los Angeles Raiders. Still, the mark he has left on the game of college football will never be forgotten, as he pushed the envelope, time and time again. He is the biggest villain to ever play the sport, and he probably likes it that way.